Player Discussion Quinn Hughes, Pt. VII

[IComeInPeace]

Revisiting that 2018 draft, it's still a wonderment that Hughes was still on the board when the Canucks picked seventh overall.

Looking at some of the players drafted ahead of him--Kotkaniemi and Zadina aren't even with the teams that drafted them. While Barrett Hayton is useful guy in Arizona, but still a bizarre choice by the Coyotes at fifth overall.

But the Wings selection of Zadina might have been the biggest 'whiff' in the draft, particularly because Quinn Hughes was playing his NCAA hockey right in their backyard. Also of interest--Vitaly Kravstov was picked ninth by the Rangers in that draft.

So the Canucks eventually secured two of the top10 picks in that draft. And since Zadina was placed on waivers and bought out by the Wings, they might even have had him as well if they'd been interested, but he signed in San Jose.

Just goes to show that teams other than the Canucks swing and miss on their top-10 picks. Almost makes up for drafting Oli Juolevi.

Made even more perplexing b/c Wings coach Jeff Blashill coached Hughes at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, and seemed to be a huge fan:

“He’s a really competitive person,” Blashill said. “He’s a really, really explosive skater. Loves hockey. Wants to compete, wants to be great. He is an elite skater, as explosive as anybody I’ve been around. I’m a big fan of Quinn Hughes. I think he’s done a really good job so far from what I’ve seen.”

It would seem that kind of intel would have served the Wings well.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

Made even more perplexing b/c Wings coach Jeff Blashill coached Hughes at the 2018 and 2019 World Championships, and seemed to be a huge fan:

“He’s a really competitive person,” Blashill said. “He’s a really, really explosive skater. Loves hockey. Wants to compete, wants to be great. He is an elite skater, as explosive as anybody I’ve been around. I’m a big fan of Quinn Hughes. I think he’s done a really good job so far from what I’ve seen.”

It would seem that kind of intel would have served the Wings well.

My guess is that it has to do with size. In the last 10 Holland Red Wings drafts there were only 2 players taken in the first 2 rounds that were under 6 feet. Both forwards. In that time they picked 3 defencemen in any round that were under 6 feet and 2 of them were in the 7th round. Looking at Holland’s drafting history size looks to be a big factor. A lot of big boys taken and especially on the back end. It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of the scouts loved Hughes but it was shot down by the higher ups because he was too small.

 

[LemonSauceD]

. I have a feeling if Montreal didn’t jump the gun and selected Zadina at 3 like he was supposed to go, Detroit would’ve drafted Hughes.

Detroit did what many people would’ve done.. select the BPA. Zadina was consistently ranked 3rd and 4th and some scouts had him as high as 2nd overall. With Arizona reaching for a player ranked in the teens, coupled by Montreal taking a 5th-7th ranked player in Kotkaniemi, it was almost a no brainer for Detroit to take the guy ranked top 4 for most of the year at 6th, ultimately leaving us with Hughes.

A lot of factors allowed us to luck out with Hughes. I personally had Hughes as a #5 talent in that draft, ironically enough, behind Zadina.

A lot of people’s lists for that draft went like:
Dahlin
Svechnikov
Zadina
Kotkaniemi
Tkachuk
Hughes

I personally had Kotkaniemi where the rangers were selecting. So yeah, if Zadina was available at 6th, I probably would’ve drafted him over Hughes considering everything else.

 

[DFAC]

. I have a feeling if Montreal didn’t jump the gun and selected Zadina at 3 like he was supposed to go, Detroit would’ve drafted Hughes.

Detroit did what many people would’ve done.. select the BPA. Zadina was consistently ranked 3rd and 4th and some scouts had him as high as 2nd overall. With Arizona reaching for a player ranked in the teens, coupled by Montreal taking a 5th-7th ranked player in Kotkaniemi, it was almost a no brainer for Detroit to take the guy ranked top 4 for most of the year at 6th, ultimately leaving us with Hughes.

A lot of factors allowed us to luck out with Hughes. I personally had Hughes as a #5 talent in that draft, ironically enough, behind Zadina.

A lot of people’s lists for that draft went like:
Dahlin
Svechnikov
Zadina
Kotkaniemi
Tkachuk
Hughes

I personally had Kotkaniemi where the rangers were selecting. So yeah, if Zadina was available at 6th, I probably would’ve drafted him over Hughes considering everything else.

There were reports that Detroit wasn't interested in QH at all... which is strange considering he played college hockey in their backyard in Michigan so they would have been able to see him play easily. But agreed we lucked out big time with drafting Hughes that year. Imagine where our franchise would be had we picked Zadina instead...

 

[racerjoe]

There were reports that Detroit wasn't interested in QH at all... which is strange considering he played college hockey in their backyard in Michigan so they would have been able to see him play easily. But agreed we lucked out big time with drafting Hughes that year. Imagine where our franchise would be had we picked Zadina instead...

Maybe in a better spot, only because we would have fired benning earlier.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

There were reports that Detroit wasn't interested in QH at all... which is strange considering he played college hockey in their backyard in Michigan so they would have been able to see him play easily. But agreed we lucked out big time with drafting Hughes that year. Imagine where our franchise would be had we picked Zadina instead...

Worst case scenario is we don’t make the bubble playoffs (Benning’s fake Stanley Cup) and we end up drafting higher each year and maybe have a shot at Bedard. Seems okay to me tbh

 

[canuckking1]

[Quinn] Hughes — like other offensively gifted, defensively lacking blueliners — dropped a bit after we spoke to people around the league. “He’s good,” one scout said. “I don’t know how good he is. I really don’t.”​

​

We know he carries the offensive load for a mediocre team, which he does well. Ultimately, we slotted him behind veterans like Roman Josi and Erik Karlsson who, while not without their warts, are simply better at running the show. They’re transcendent talents with the puck. Hughes isn’t at that level, and his placement reflects it.​

​

All in all, he’s a talented player, but not yet a complete one — and his play without the puck is an issue for both analysts and scouts. “He has not gotten better or worse for me in years,” one analyst said. “He’s just been the exact same dude plugging along.”​

What to expect​

​

This feels like a critical year for Hughes, who turns 24 in October, but a full season with Rick Tocchet as his coach and Carson Soucy as his partner are real reasons to expect improvement.​

Can’t help laugh at the Athletic article and the subsequent response when criticized

 

[kranuck]

Dom exists to get clicks.

He’s a solid troll.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

Potential to be a solid second pairing guy one day.

 

[Knight53]

 

[Knight53]

Mature, intelligent, humble.

 

[valkynax]

I love Hughes, but I think this kind of so-called "records" are doing little more than cheapening the significance of actual records, and making it look like a desperate effort to make Hughes look good. Oh look this player is the first player who got 2 points on a night that's 1 month away from his birthday while the moon was exactly half as the sun was aligning itself in a position that's 15 degrees from the nearest galaxy's...you see where I'm getting? Was it too much for people to just leave it at "Captain Hughes came out with a bang, and what a show that was"?

 

[petterdaddy]

Mature, intelligent, humble.

Dude just has that infectious confidence and you can tell he really does care about the team and his teammates. Super shocking to see such a young guy be so eloquent in media pressure situations.

Mom and Dad Hughes are killing it at the whole parenting thing.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Erik Karlsson who is 33 and has been the best offensive defenseman of the last decade + has 583 assists in 921 games.

Quinn Hughes, who turns 24 in a couple of days, has just over half that in 284 games.

Hughes is well on pace to shatter all time assists record held by Bourque. That’s incredible. Anything can happen, and knock on wood he has a long career, but just being on pace just goes to show how incredible this guy is.

I don’t think we understand just how truly he’s undervalued across the league. He might go down as the best player this franchise has ever had one day.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Mature, intelligent, humble.

Absolutely the right guy to get the C

 

[petterdaddy]

Erik Karlsson who is 33 and has been the best offensive defenseman of the last decade + has 583 assists in 921 games.

Quinn Hughes, who turns 24 in a couple of days, has just over half that in 284 games.

Hughes is well on pace to shatter all time assists record held by Bourque. That’s incredible. Anything can happen, and knock on wood he has a long career, but just being on pace just goes to show how incredible this guy is.

I don’t think we understand just how truly he’s undervalued across the league. He might go down as the best player this franchise has ever had one day.

Never 4get the Gretzky ASG “that young lad’s a defenseman?“

 

[kranuck]

Erik Karlsson who is 33 and has been the best offensive defenseman of the last decade + has 583 assists in 921 games.

Quinn Hughes, who turns 24 in a couple of days, has just over half that in 284 games.

Hughes is well on pace to shatter all time assists record held by Bourque. That’s incredible. Anything can happen, and knock on wood he has a long career, but just being on pace just goes to show how incredible this guy is.

I don’t think we understand just how truly he’s undervalued across the league. He might go down as the best player this franchise has ever had one day.

I would love that but it’s not realistic.

He might kept up the pace longer than most, but unless he takes it to another level he would need to have bourque like longevity too.

 

[Regal]

Erik Karlsson who is 33 and has been the best offensive defenseman of the last decade + has 583 assists in 921 games.

Quinn Hughes, who turns 24 in a couple of days, has just over half that in 284 games.

Hughes is well on pace to shatter all time assists record held by Bourque. That’s incredible. Anything can happen, and knock on wood he has a long career, but just being on pace just goes to show how incredible this guy is.

I don’t think we understand just how truly he’s undervalued across the league. He might go down as the best player this franchise has ever had one day.

218 is just over half 583?

 

[WTG]

218 is just over half 583?

You have girl math.... But have you heard of hockey math?

 

[VanJack]

Call it a 'gut feeling'......but this might finally be the year that Quinn gets his due from the rest of the NHL....watching that first game against the Oilers, he seemed to be generating two or three scoring chances on every shift.

But it's his work on the PP that is jaw-dropping at times. He's all over the ice generating open looks for his teammates lucky enough to play with him.

 

[Knight53]

 

[Knight53]

Playing like a top 10 player in the game right now.

 

[logan5]

He is looking more and more like Jack with the way he charges to the net now.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

Already the best defenseman in Canucks history. We're so lucky to have this guy.

 

[VanJack]

Already the best defenseman in Canucks history. We're so lucky to have this guy.

A reminder of just how much the draft is crap-shoot even in the top-10. Canucks could have just as easily had Filip Zadina instead of Quinn Hughes: and Nolan Patrick instead of Elias Pettersson.

And we could just as easily have Matthew Tkachuk instead of Oli Juolevi and Michal Nylander instead of Jake Virtanen.

You win some, and lose some.